Happy birthday to my amazing, comical, smiley sometimes whiney but always lovable big boy! Three is going to be a great year with lots to learn and explore! In just 3 short years, I have seen D. grow, learn and changed so much. From learning to walk, bed time fights to the struggle we had with his vocab (although sometimes, I really he would be quiet for just 5 minutes during a 12 hour day), D had never ceased to amaze me. One minutes he can be a brave tough boy who is powing his sister and the next he's whispering in my ear that he loves me and wants to keep me forever! One second jumping on the couch with no fear to seeing a spider and screaming in a higher pitch then any soprano that I've heard. From telling me he wants a new momma to saying please and thank you to complete strangers in a store. He's got personality, that's for sure, and even on days I would like to lock him in a closet for 15 minutes or 45, he's my little man!

3 years and 3 days (because I'm late in posting this)ago, after 27 hours of being hooked up to monitors, I became a momma for the 2nd time. As I held my baby boy D. in my arms and brushed my fingers across his tiny face, I realized at that moment, just how big my heart was and that I could, in fact, love 2 children with all my heart.

I can remember being wheeled into the recovery room after having him and seeing the smile on R's face as she was waiting there, about to burst from the seams, to meet her little brother for the first time. She brought the baby blanket she had helped pick out and insisted that the nurse wrap him up in it before she held him. I love seeing they way they interact with each other. Okay, I'll be honest, most of the time. Sure, I hear the fights, but it all gets canceled out when I hear laughter coming from the next room as they build blanket tents and play Ring-Around-the Rosy.


On Sunday (D's actual birthday), we invited my parents and siblings over for a pancake and eggs brunch. And while we had a great time, I am eagerly waiting for the J.J and D combined birthday party in two weeks.

This is the very yummy cake Aunt Nee Nee made. He loved it and even blew out the candles before we had finished singing "Happy Birthday"!

Yep, that's a frog. He told his Aunt Nee Nee he wanted a frog for his birthday...and that's what he got. Although, he is afraid to touch it, and I doubt he'll be the one feeding it...actually, that's a job I saved for J. I don't blame him. And, I have to admit, it's kinda creepy knowing there is a jar of live crickets on my kitchen counter.


And from here on out, you will see that my son has quite the obsession for Toy Story!

Humor of a Child

Picture this...D, morning eyed and grogy, slide bumps down the stairs, calling "Mamay, my day is back...wake up!"
I go to the bottom of the stairs, "Morning bud! How did you sleep?"
One track mind D, points to him stomach and says, "Kurur! Hear that Mamay, here that."
"Yes, what was that?"
"That's my belly growling Mamay...my belly's hungry!"

It's those moments when your smile slowly creeps up your face that every parent lives for. When you want nothing more than to scoop up your child in your arms and squeeze them until they pop (not literally of course!). That keep me going every day.

Earlier in the week, J was planning on grabbing some wings with some of his work buddies after hours and forgot his change of clothes on the dinning room table. The boys and I were headed out of the house for the day so we were going to drop them off to daddy. As I'm handing J his jeans and shirt, D asks a great question, "Why does Daddy need need new clothes". Before I could explain that Daddy needed them for after work, my sweet little guy came up with his own answer..."Daddy pee in his pants?". I swear, I don't think I laughed so hard all day. And, to a almost 3-year-old whose getting the potty training do's and dont's shoved down his throat, it makes sense, right?!

And pictures of my little comedian:

Life Lessons

On of the most important jobs we have as parents is to teach our kids the little life lessons of the world. We do this yearly, monthly, weekly, daily and sometimes, in the case of "We do not lick the T.V.": hourly. In addition to not licking the T.V., I find myself teaching the lessons of going potty in the toilet instead of our underwear, not kicking our brother, sharing toys, and why the word "crap" in not a word I want to hear out of an eight-year-olds mouth.
At times, some of these little life lessons are ones in which I never ever, in my wildest dreams thought I would be teaching...take our Sunday cleaning session of R's room. She had been sent to her room an hour early with the directive to clean clean clean, and I would be up shortly to help put her new sheets on her bed. As I pull her bed away from the wall, I find, to my dismay junk smashed between the two. Among the candy wrappers, pencils and littlest pet shop toys...a pair of underwear. I'm not sure if they were dirty or clean, but never the less, not a place they belong. R, of course finds this hilarious! Me, not so much. So I proceed in making this a life lesson on how to properly clean your bedroom. This does not include pushing everything off to the sides of the room, under rugs or behind furniture.

Later that night, while enjoying a rare family dinner, J had opportunity to teach a life lesson of his own, in a way only a dad can. ****This, I will try to describe to the best of my ability through tears of laughter****
R: "EWWW, what's that smell?"
Dad: "Sorry, excuse me."
R: "Daddy, your supposed to say excuse me as soon as you toot."
Dad: Only if it's a loud one. Then you say excuse me. If it's a silent one, then just ignore it...if it's stinky, just point to the person next to you. No one will ever know.

So, this led me to realize just how different the roles are we have as Momma and Dad...and how the lessons of life falls to each of us.

What are the life lessons you have taught your kids this week? What are the lessons you never thought you would have to teach? Please tell me I'm not alone in this!

Where we have been

I've been gone a long time...nothing really exciting has happened in the 2+ months. Just day to day living. Hanging out with the kiddies, working, cooking, cleaning...blah blah blah.
As I looked around the house today, after spending a couple of hours cleaning yesterday, it dawned on me that I can spot who has been where rather easily.

R, recently won her second reflections award for art at school. She's following in her aunt Nee Nee's footsteps to became an aspiring artist. Her art supplies are usually close at hand.

We have been potty training D here lately. And let's be real, that can take up alot of any parents time. He's doing pretty good at a 50% rate. The tell tale sign he's been somewhere...his blankets. Granted, he doesn't carry them around non-stop, but they are usually somewhere eye sight of him.

J.J. is growing fast. We took him for his first hair cut 2 weeks ago. Long story short, it was NOT the best experience. He has also developed a fascination with shoes. I'm not sure what it's all about, but always has a pair in grasp. His favorite pair? D.'s Lightening McQueen snow boots.


As for J and I, He's been working and making plans for his performance mods on his regal. I started selling Avon, and usually have my laptop close by doing meal plannings, work or just staying in touch with my friends round the country.
This is J.'s pop cup. It's usually filled with Pepsi and Ice.

Family Weeknd!

With life being so busy and always go, go, go right now, it seems like we are always on a schedule and don't have the time to just sit down and enjoy the blessings in life. As a result, I've starting a new tradition with my boys. Friday's, since I don't have to work, will be lunch date day with my boys. Our first lunch date was kinda simple and impromptu at the grocery store cafe. We enjoyed some baked mac & cheese, drumsticks and pizza. The boys were great and received some great compliments from those cute older ladies enjoying their coffee.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do as a special treat with R. yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something.


After work on Saturday, I was surprise to come home to a semi clean house (thanks to our wonderful babysitter), an 8 year-old's room clean, a refreshed baby from a nap and a happy toddl2 year-old. So I called J and we meet up in the shopping district to go coat shopping. This did not go as planned. In our first store, everything seemed to be going well, until we stumbled onto the toy isle, in which we had a 2-year-old who wanted freedom out of the cart. After some public fighting, J decided to take the boys out to the car while I finished getting what we needed and checked out. When I headed to the car, I found an women standing at the entrance to the store, shocked and calling for her husband to "look at those kids in the van...!" This naturally caught my curiosity so I looked to see my boys climbing all over the drivers seat of my van. The next moment, this lady is running to my van, cellphone in hand ready to call the authorities, when the side door of the van pops open and J. sticks his head out. Now the lady is putting her phone away and laughing. She apparently thought our boys were in the van by themselves being allowed to climb over everything and cause panic to every passerby that witnessed this. Oy!...needless to say we went home and decided to venture back out the next day. which we did and got some great deals on coats for the kids, only after we had a wonderful family brunch! The best part though...after dropping $100+ on new coats...we have 60 degree weather this week! UGH!

It seems I've been in a time warp!

You can call off the search and rescue! Here I am...alive and well(finally!). This last month and a half has been filled to the brim of changes and the craziness that life throws at you.

The biggest change has most definitely been me doing something I have not done for about 2 years. Yep, I went back to work. This decision come after many discussions between J and I. On one hand, going back to work is added income, but after paying for a sitter when our shifts would double over, what's left doesn't add up to a whole lot. The winning benefit was me getting out of the house. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids with all my heart, but this momma needs some adult interaction and time for me to do something else.
I'm only away for 4 hours a day, but the difference has been seen all around. D. went through some adjustment and he pretty much broke my heart when I came home during the second week and he ran to the door and protested "Yay, me happy again...Mommy's home!" He's getting better with it now, but still calls the babysitter the "bad one", even though he doesn't want her to leave at the end of the day. J.J. adjusted much better than I might have imagined, and has been by far my biggest surprise. When the babysitter walks in the room, his face lights up and he's getting much better around people he doesn't know. R. is, well, R. and is going with the flow like always.
And me...The job is going well. It's not my "forever" job but it's getting me in the right direction. It's part-time and in the evening, something I'm not so sure about. But, overall, it's giving me experience and letting me get my foot in the door.

And now the fun part...

school picture time


We shall name his Ghost Boy...


Fall Fun


My Loves

Muffin Tin Meal

Thanks to a friend, The Island Mom, I have been introduced to Muffin Tin Meals. I decided to take a leap and try it out for lunch yesterday. This was a first attempted, and I was not quite as prepared as I would have liked to be, but overall I would call it a success.
I was worried how J.J. would do, as he has a tendency to throw his food, but other than the muffin paper cups and a few apple chunks, he did fairly well. D. really enjoyed this lunch experiment, and ate up his whole muffin tray.
If you have not hear about Muffin Tin Meals, check out the blog below and give it a try. It was a big hit at our house for both boys, and I have a feeling this will soon be a daily request.
http://www.michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/

Please note: Remember I was unprepared, therefore, do not have the nicest muffin tins. New tins are on the shopping list for next week. Also, while the wine bottles are empty, I promise no drinking was done when parental duties are required!



From left to right starting with the top row:
Half of a dinosaur shaped peanut butter sandwich, apple chunks, frosted animal crackers. More apple chunks, pretzel squares, and the the other half of the dinosaur peanut butter sandwich.